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One Thousand Porches Book Blast

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A heartwarming story about family, love, and perseverance, One Thousand Porches chronicles the lives of tuberculosis sufferers and their family members at a sanitarium in Sarnac Lake, NY. A beautiful story that is meant to inspire and uplift readers through the cast of characters that are genuinely kind human beings, readers have called One Thousand Porches “illuminating” and “historically significant”. Down the Kindle Ebook for FREE on March 20th!

In celebration of the release of One Thousand Porches we are giving away 2 paperback copies and a $25 Amazon Gift Card.

Link to Giveaway

One Thousand Porches by Julie Dewy Publication Date: November 1, 2013 CreateSpace Format: e-book, Paperback

Set in the majestic yet untamed Adirondack Mountains of New York more than a century ago, an extraordinary story unfolds about a little known town called Saranac Lake. The town is home to a man with a disease known as consumption, white plague, or as some called it, the red death. It is here that Doctor Edward Livingston Trudeau finds a hopeful cure for tuberculosis in the form of open air. Trudeau’s patients vary in age, gender, class, and race, but they have one thing in common. They must all choose to embrace life, even in the face of death, if they wish to heal at the sanitarium.

Christine, a woman at the helm of her family, has already lost two children to the dreaded plague. But when her daughter, Collette, contracts the disease, she is determined to keep her alive. Venturing into unknown territory, Christine risks her own health and that of her unborn child, as well as her marriage, to help her daughter seek a cure that to many is absurd. Christine embarks upon a life-changing journey as she moves from caregiver to patient. In the face of adversity she must find the courage to sustain herself.

When Lena, a factory worker and mother of three, begins coughing up blood she is faced with a decision no mother wants to make. She either stays with her family and risks her own death, or leaves her loved ones behind while she goes off in hope of a cure at the ‘Sans’.

Big Joe, once a strong man for a traveling circus, seeks a quiet place to live out his final days in hiding. When he is sent to the Sanitarium, he is terrified to learn he will be housed with fellow circus performers for he is a hunted man. Gaunt and thin, he can only hope no one from his past recognizes him in his current state. Little Amy, a six year old child, must care for her entire family of seven, all whom are afflicted with different forms of plague. When she is diagnosed with a very rare form herself, she is sent to the Sanitarium and put under the care of Dr. Trudeau. Alone and afraid, Amy faces her fears and allows herself to dream of a future. With a cast of characters so vivid, One Thousand Porches is a heartwarming and engaging story that will instill hope and faith in even the most pessimistic reader.

About Author:

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Julie Dewey is a novelist living in Central New York with her family. Her daughter is a Nashville crooner and her son is a boxer, her husband is an all-around fabulous guy with gorgeous blue eyes that had her at first glance. Julie enjoys anything creative, she loves to make jewelry and is passionate about gemstones. When she isn’t writing, she can be found in her office decoupaging, stamping, knitting, working with metal, or scrapping.

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Interview with Simon Stirling

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Simon Stirling hails from Birmingham, England.  He went to Glasgow University, but left early to take part in a new play on the London fringe (written by John A. Bird, who went on to found The Big Issue).  Simon then spent three years training as an actor at LAMDA, during which time he got his first literary agent.  For the next decade or so he wrote scripts for theatre and various television drama series, picking up a Writer’s Guild Award for his work on “Between the Lines” and writing what is probably the rudest episode ever of “Casualty”!  In more recent years he has worked as a script consultant and scriptwriting tutor, and for two years he was Youth and Community Director at the Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury.  Many years of research went into his first two historical nonfiction books, The King Arthur Conspiracy (2012) and Who Killed William Shakespeare? (2013) – both published by The History Press – and his current project, “The Grail: Relic of an Ancient Religion” for Moon Books.  He now lives in Worcestershire, in the heart of Shakespeare country, with his wife Kim, who was born in Stratford-upon-Avon. They were married on the Isle of Iona in 2002.

Simon keeps a blog with regular updates on his research and adventures in publishing:

www.artandwill.blogspot.co.uk

Stephanie: Hello, Simon! Thank you for chatting with me today! As a Shakespeare enthusiast, I am always intrigued with anything to do with him and was delighted you wrote a book about him. Please tell me a little about your book, Who Killed William Shakespeare?

Simon: Hello, Stephanie!  “Who Killed William Shakespeare?” was first published last year by The History Press.  It’s my second book for them.  I’d spent a little over 25 years researching Shakespeare’s life and times – starting with a particular interest in the character of Lady Macbeth (where did she come from?) and then gradually widening out from Shakespeare’s middle years to take in his youth and retirement.  When I met up with my editor at The History Press to discuss the publication of my first book (“The King Arthur Conspiracy” – 2012) I was hoping we’d have time to chat about the Shakespeare project I’d mentioned to her.  We didn’t, but I did notice that she had written in her notes, “Who killed William Shakespeare?”

When I’d first mentioned the project to her, I’d outlined very briefly what I had discovered about Shakespeare’s life and the three stages (childhood and youth, middle age, retirement and death) which I was keen to cover.  The fact that she had zeroed in on his sudden death told me that this was what the publishers would be most interested in (although I still managed to cover the rest of his life in the book) and, whether she realized it or not, she’d given me my title!

who killed ws

Stephanie: That is really intriguing. Your research must have been quite extensive. Could you tell me a little about it? Was there anything you discovered that you did not know before?

Simon: The research started the traditional way: reading any books I could get hold of about Shakespeare.  But I found them all rather disappointing.  None of them really told me who Shakespeare was.  After many years, I began to realize that this is one of the great stumbling blocks in Shakespeare studies.  We know quite a lot about Shakespeare, but many scholars prefer to pretend that we don’t.  And that got my antennae twitching.

I combined what you might call “mainstream” or “orthodox” Shakespeare research with more detailed investigations into the region he came from – which also happens to be my home region.  Most Shakespeare biographers pop up to Stratford to look around and then head straight back to London.  They’re really only interested in Shakespeare-in-London.  But the best material about him, his contacts, his family network, his background, etc., is to be found in the Midlands.  For example: we know that the 18-year old Shakespeare was first given a special license to marry “Annam Whateley” of Temple Grafton (a parish near Stratford), and that the next day a license was issued stipulating that Shakespeare would marry “Anne Hathwey” of Stratford.  For years, scholars have insisted that Anne Whateley (his first betrothed) didn’t exist – but a search of local records turned up a will which names her.

The biggest surprise came in the form of a skull.  I had been chasing up a local story, published by a Victorian clergyman, which insisted that Shakespeare’s skull had been stolen from his grave in Stratford and ended up in a private family crypt under another church altogether.  But it was only when I’d started writing my book that I discovered that this skull really did exist.  What is more, it shows various injuries which match those visible on the portraits of Shakespeare.  And these injuries both confirmed and added to the theory I had already formed about how Shakespeare died.  So that was a shocking moment – discovering that the Victorian vicar was (partly) right.  Shakespeare’s skull is NOT in Stratford!

Stephanie: Now that is really interesting! How long did it take you to write, Who Killed William Shakespeare? And what was your inspiration?

Simon: I’m not really sure how long it took.  For years, I was trying to write a sort of detailed novel about Shakespeare in 1605-6.  It would have covered the Gunpowder Plot (to which Shakespeare was connected in a number of alarming ways), the birth of his illegitimate son, Sir William Davenant, and the writing of “Macbeth”.  Then, little by little, I extended the scope of the project and decided to write it as non-fiction.  There were dozens of false starts.  But the manuscript for the final book actually took about nine months to write.  Some of that time, though, was spent doing very detailed comparisons of the skull, the Shakespeare portraiture, and a death mask which was probably of Shakespeare and is now in Germany.  I reckon I must have spent about two months in all, studying the similarities of these various images and objects and creating graphics which point up the comparisons.

As for the inspiration, that’s kind of complex.  I ended up believing that an enormous injustice had been done to Shakespeare, and it continues to this day.  He wasn’t alone in this: many of his friends, relatives and associates were Catholic, and they suffered horribly.  So if anything drove me in writing the book, it was the desire to right a dreadful wrong.  Shakespeare was murdered (in fact, I’ve since discovered that this was anything but secret), and the facts of his life have been systematically covered up since in order to invent a false Shakespeare, a patriotic Protestant.  That’s why so many scholars pretend that we know very little about him.  The truth is more shocking – but it also explains the man and his work, as well as his violent death.

Stephanie: Well, I am glad you wrote it as non-fiction and that is no easy task. I can’t wait to read your book! I agree with you. I have heard many stories of injustice about him and it is infuriating at times, I admit.

Have you read all his plays? His sonnets?

Simon: One way or another, yes (including a “lost” play of his).  But for the book itself, I didn’t really bother very much with his history plays (they weren’t terribly relevant), and there are others I left out because they would have cluttered up the narrative.  A few poems (“The Phoenix and the Turtle”, for example) were also side-lined, but that was really just because of space, or the lack thereof.

Stephanie: Which sonnet is your favorite?

Simon: The sonnets are fascinating – they’re more personal than letters, though I sometimes felt that I was reading somebody’s emails!  Picking a favourite is very difficult: they cover such a long span (from about 1592 up till at least 1606), and the subject matter is so varied.  If I had a favourite, it would probably be Sonnet 126, which is “unfinished” (the final couplet was never published) and was, I think, addressed to his infant son or godson, William Davenant, who was illegitimate, but whose birth in late February 1606 made up for the death of Shakespeare’s son and heir, Hamnet, ten years earlier.

Stephanie: My favorite play is the Twelfth Night and Hamlet. Which one is yours and why?

Simon: I ought to say “Macbeth”, because that was the starting point for so much of my research.  But the fact is that it took me many years to learn how to enjoy reading Shakespeare (the key was to understand his latent Catholicism: suddenly, every poem and play became very readable, and intensely emotional, once I’d latched on to that forbidden information; I remember watching a very good movie version of “Titus Andronicus” and having my usual response of, “Well, that meant nothing to me” – and then spending a year or so researching Catholicism in Shakespeare’s England, and then watching the same movie again, and I was in floods of tears throughout).  The play I found myself enjoying the most when I was working on “Who Killed William Shakespeare?”, though, was “Pericles”.  I found it a really colourful, heart-warming experience.  It was the first of Shakespeare’s plays of reconciliation, the first of his “romances” or tragi-comedies, and it was hugely popular with the Catholic community.  I think I can see why.  It promises salvation, of a sort, after many horrors.

Stephanie: Now, about you and what you read for pleasure. Who are your influences?

Simon: Well, I’m a pretty big fan of William Shakespeare!  But while I was growing up, the stories of Alan Garner really grabbed me.  He always wrote brilliantly, and his stories became more mature as he went on (he’s still alive, I should add).  In my teens, I discovered his very short novel, “Red Shift”, which remains my personal favourite.  Nobody – apart from Shakespeare, perhaps – has ever managed to squeeze so much meaning into so few words.  That book taught me that you should never go overboard with description.  Keep it simple and to the point.  Too much description cheats the reader.  Less is more.

Stephanie: I agree about going overboard with description and less is more. It certainly is an art to write that way.

How often do you write and where in your home do you write?

Simon: I write every day, if I can.  Using a laptop, I can write pretty much anywhere.  But we only have a small house, and my main work station is in the main room.  I have my back to the television, but if I’m working late into the night I’ll often have the TV on in the background, just so that the room isn’t too quiet.

Stephanie: Coffee or tea?

Simon: Coffee in the morning, and plenty of it: strong and black (I broke my old cafetiere a few days ago, and my wife made sure she’d bought me a new one by the following morning; she knows how important it is to me!).  But in the afternoon or evening, tea.  I have a very big mug, about the size of two normal mugs, which I drink my tea out of.  And I only have a splash of goat’s milk in my tea.  Cow’s milk really isn’t very good these days.

Stephanie: Historical fiction or non-fiction? Or both?

Simon: Non-fiction.  Most of my reading is research, one way or another, and while you can soak up atmosphere from fiction, I prefer hard facts.  The other problem is that my background as a dramatist means that I still mentally “adapt” novels for the screen whenever I’m reading them, which is annoying.  But I suppose the main thing is that I see reading as ongoing education.  Novels are a form of escapism, which means that I don’t really trust them.

Stephanie: Favorite read(s)?

Simon: Depends what I’m working on.  Sometimes, it’ll be something scientific (Simon Singh’s “Big Bang”, for example, which is a brilliant history of cosmology; I wrote a script for the Open University, here in the UK, back in the 90s, and we introduced the nation to the COBE satellite and the discovery of cosmic background radiation – it was good to read about how that all fitted in to the history of our understanding of the universe).  I also find biographies intriguing, because they’re so difficult to do well, and so when I find one I think is really excellent (like Kate Williams’ “England’s Mistress”, about Emma, Lady Hamilton, or W.H. Murray’s “Rob Roy MacGregor”) I’ll tend to recommend it.  Also, I would always recommend Evelyn Farr’s “Marie-Antoinette and Count Fersen: The Untold Love Story”.  That’s a book I’d love to have written.

Stephanie:  What would you like to say to your readers?

Simon: The research (into King Arthur and William Shakespeare) isn’t finished.  I’m expecting to unveil a “new” Shakespeare portrait during a public lecture I’ll be giving at Goldsmiths, University of London, in March, and that portrait appears to confirm what my research has revealed about Shakespeare’s death.  Plus, we’ll be able to access the actual skull, later this year, so there’s a lot more news to come.  Both my books could be thought of as primers – they’re introductions to the subject, and they both present a very different story to what you’ve heard previously, but most exciting of all is the fact that, as the research continues, more and more details get filled in, and I really look forward to updating my readers on the outcomes of these investigations.  So if you want a head start – read the books, and you’ll be ready for the new information as it emerges!

Stephanie: Where can readers buy your book?

Simon: There seem to be quite a lot of places around the world that are stocking it – you can even buy it in Lagos!  But there’s always Amazon, of course, and it is available both in hardback and Kindle.

Jeannie Ruesch’s Facebook Launch Party for Cloaked in Danger

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Cloaked in Danger book cover

What: Jeannie Ruesch’s Facebook Launch Party for Cloaked in Danger

When:
Monday, January 27.  3:00 – 7:00pm PST
About Cloaked in Danger
Publication Date: January 27, 2014 Carina Press eBook ASIN: B00F93X7ZI

Aria Whitney has little in common with the delicate ladies of London  society. Her famous father made his fortune hunting archaeological  treasures, and her rustic upbringing has left her ill prepared for a  life of parties and frippery. But when Gideon Whitney goes missing in  Egypt, Aria must embrace the unknown. Armed with only the short list of  highborn men who’d backed her father’s venture, she poses as a woman  looking for a husband. She doesn’t intend to find one.

Adam Willoughby, Earl of Merewood, finds London’s strangest new  debutante fascinating, but when he catches her investigating his  family’s secrets, he threatens to ruin her reputation. He doesn’t intend to enjoy it so much.

When their lustful indiscretion is discovered, Adam finds that he  regrets nothing. But now, as Aria’s father’s enemy draws near, Adam must convince his betrothed that she can trust him with her own  secrets…before it’s too late.

About Jeannie Ruesch

Jeannie Ruesch wrote her first story at the age of the six, prompting her to give up an illustrious, hours-long ambition of becoming a Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader and declare that writing was her destiny. That journey to  destiny took a few detours along the way, including a career in  marketing and design.

Her first novel, a fairy-tale like historical romance, was published  in 2009, but the darker side of life had always captivated her. So after a dinner conversation with friends about the best way to hide a dead body, she  knew she had to find a way to incorporate suspense into her writing.  (The legal outlet for her fascination.) Today, she continues writing what she loves to read – stories of history, romance and suspense. She lives in  Northern California with her husband, their son and an 80 pound lapdog lab named Cooper.

She is also the creator of the WIP Notebook, a writer’s tool to help stay organized while you write, which you can find at her website. You can also follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads and Pinterest.

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Interview with Author Stuart S. Laing

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Stuart Laing

Born in 1966 and raised on the east coast of Scotland in the ancient Pictish Kingdom of Fife. Stuart has been married to the love of his life for 20 years and they have blessed with a daughter. Completing the household is a cat which is also female leaving him heavily outnumbered. He has always been fascinated by the history of Edinburgh and has spends most of his adult life studying Scottish history in all its aspects but always find himself being drawn back to the cobbled streets of the Old Town. He would urge all visitors to Scotland’s ancient capital to (briefly) venture into one of the narrow closes running down from the Royal Mile to get a flavour of how alive with mischief, mayhem, love and laughter these streets once were.

Stephanie: Thank you for chatting with me today, Stuart. It is always a pleasure. You have written so many wonderful stories. Today I want to talk with you about, The Children in the Shadows. Great title by the way. Tell me a little about your story.

Stuart: While Robert and his friends and family attend an engagement party the murder of a young girl casts a grim pall over the evening. Everyone seems convinced that the woman who carried the body into the town Guardhouse is guilty and no investigation is necessary. Robert is pressed to do what he can to help the woman and by doing so he opens up a can of worms that certain people in high office want closed for their own reasons.

The story also allowed me to shine more of a light on the female characters who come to the fore in this. I have always sought to allow them to be as strong and outspoken as they wanted to be and in TCiTS they seize the opportunity with both fair hands.

Alice Galbraith especially truly came into her own when she decides she is going to solve the crime. While this decision places her in great danger as she is kidnapped by the murderer she is not the type of girl who is prepared to set back and wait to be rescued.

Faith also plays a strong part in the book. It serves both as comfort at times of sorrow and inspiration to stay the course and bring the guilty to justice.

Stuarts book cover

Stephanie: What was your inspiration?

Stuart: There has been much said in the British media over recent years regarding ‘people trafficking’ and ‘economic migrants’ from Eastern Europe coming to our shores in search of a better life as though this was something new. Throughout the 18th Century people from the Scottish Highlands had been trickling southwards to find hopefully a better life in the cities of the central Lowlands. Glasgow and Edinburgh had probably hundreds of Gaels struggling to eke out a new life for themselves by 1745 alone. I took that fact and mixed it with my fictional creation of a heartless man who lures children from the Highlands with promises of a happy and wealthy future only to put them to work in the worst sort of brothel.

It was the sad fact that such places existed and the fact that the victims were hidden from sight that gave me the title. That and the fact that certain people wanted the children to remain hidden in the shadows so that their own sins would remain unseen.

Stephanie: Tell me a little about Captain Travers.

Stuart: Charles Travers is a young man aged 25. Formerly an officer in the regular army who sold his commission and returned to his hometown where he was able to secure the position of captain in Edinburgh’s Town Guard. He is looked upon as a popular figure but other than Robert has no’one he can call a true friend. His single interest is solving crimes and this has been to the detriment of his social life. He has allowed nothing else to come before that and it was through work that he first met and then became close friends with Robert. Romance has never really figured in his thoughts.

His parents died when he was a child and he had been raised by an elderly relative who passed away while he was in the army so has no family left.

It was while he was attending Kitty’s to make an arrest that he met Miss Estelle Cannonby who he fell in love with at first sight. He is convinced she is his soul mate and the woman he wishes to make his wife.

Stephanie: What is the most dangerous encounter that Robert Young, Captain Travers have had?

Stuart: For Charles it is when he corners the murderer in A Pound of Flesh in the climactic scene when he finds himself unarmed facing a desperate man armed with a pistol. He tries to persuade him to surrender but…

Robert has largely managed to avoid placing his life in real danger, although like Charles he is there when the killer is confronted in ApoF. However his luck runs out dramatically in The Children in The Shadows when he discovers the identity of the man responsible for exploiting children. Rather than wait for Charles and the Town Guard he attempts to capture the man himself trusting in his own skill with a rapier. His skills may not be all that he hoped however!

Stephanie: Out of all the characters you have written about, which one are you most partial to?

Stuart: Arghhh! Does it have to be only one? Obviously I have to say Robert Young himself as the driving force of the stories but I love his wife Euphemia who has to deal with worrying about him when he is investigating a dastardly crime while looking after two young children. I also have a real fondness for Sergeant MacIan of the Town Guard who believes in ‘traditional’ methods of policing while dear Captain Travers prefers a modern, analytical approach to a crime scene. One character who is always an absolute pleasure to write is Alice Galbraith, a high class prostitute who delights in causing mischief for Robert and Captain Travers whenever she speaks to them. She is not a malicious character in any way, more just a saucy minx with a wicked sense of humour. She really came into her own in the most recent book The Children in The Shadows where she revealed herself to be much more than just an amusing supporting character. Even as I wrote her scenes I was cheering her on.

Stephanie: Is there a scene you wrote where you burst out laughing? If so, do tell.

Stuart: There is a short scene in A Pound of Flesh where Captain Travers and Robert visit Kitty’s (a gentleman’s club for games of chance and meeting young ladies of negotiable affections) to arrest a dubious character. He is busily engaging with two ‘ladies’ in a bedroom and while they arrest him the women, naked as the day they were born, applaud their efforts while they cringe with embarrassment. It was just one of those little scenes that is both important as it leads to a break in the investigation and just amusing for the sheer awful embarrassment for the men as they try to arrest the villain while doing their best not to stare at the naked flesh on display.

Stephanie: Where in your home is your favorite place to write? Do you have a favorite coffee or tea by your side when you write?

Stuart: Normally my armchair with my netbook perched on my lap. I like the small size of the netbook compared to a full size laptop when I am writing. Now, coffee or tea? The eternal conundrum! I tend to stick with coffee when writing but a mug, never a cup, of strong tea is always welcome. Just don’t add sugar!

Stephanie: I write at my desk, living room, kitchen and sometimes in my bed early in the morning. When writing, what is your process?

Stuart: I generally work out the full plot from beginning to end before I write the first word, I even work out a chapter by chapter guide of who does what, when and where in advance. However…pretty much as soon as I get past the first chapter things start to move, if not in a completely different direction, then in a way which I had not planned in advance. Generally only the very beginning and the end will remain unchanged. The crime and the criminal will be as I planned but anything else between the first and last page tends to weave its own path. Characters have a bad habit of doing their own thing. When I am actually writing though I prefer to have the TV switched off and have music playing in the background. Mumford and Sons, Marillion and the Scottish band from the 1980’s Big Country all feature fairly regularly on my writing playlist.

Stephanie: Yes, I agree. Characters do tend to do their own thing. I have noticed a lot of writers like having music on while writing. I’m must be strange, because I need complete silence and no distractions. How many books a year on average do you read?

Stuart: A rough estimate would be somewhere in the region of 50-60 full length books a year on average. I generally read at least one novel a week and goodness only knows how many short stories!

Stephanie: That is about the amount I read. Good number of books. What advice would you give to someone who wanted to try their hand at writing?

Stuart: Do it! Work out your basic storyline, plot and main characters and then just write. It doesn’t matter if you miss words or letters or even have gaps in the plot in that first draft, just get your idea down on paper (or on the computer screen these days) Once you have written that first draft then you can go back over it and catch the things you missed first time around. The single most important piece of advice I could possibly give is simply this. Do it! And have fun while you are doing it! Is that two pieces of advice? Do it and have fun!

Stephanie: Agreed!  

What is up next for you?

Stuart: I am nearing completion of the fourth Robert Young tale, so I think it is safe to say he doesn’t die when he confronts the cad in TCiTS. It has the working title of Major Weir’s Dark Legacy and is about an ongoing argument between two elderly booksellers. When one is murdered and the other found standing over the body with a knife in hand Charles is prepared to see things as an open and shut case. His attention is focussed on an upcoming wedding and he doesn’t want any distractions to get in the way of that. Robert, at his wife’s insistence agrees to do what he can for the accused. Meanwhile a sneak thief is plaguing the town, Robert’s adopted daughter Effie has discovered boys and a demon raising lunatic from the past haunts the dark rooms of an empty mansion.

 Stephanie: How exciting!  

Is there a message you would like to give to your readers?

Stuart: I think the only message I would dare try to give to my readers is that no matter how grim things may seem at the moment, there is always a light at the end of the tunnel. With some of my characters that light is provided by their belief in Jesus Christ as their Savior. Others settle for the contents of a bottle! What I hope readers would take from my books is that our troubles, even on the darkest days can be overcome. I would suggest that faith was a better source of hope than a bottle though!

Stephanie: Where can readers buy your book?

Stuart: All three novels are available on Amazon in ebook and paperback. A short story featuring the regular cast is also available for the Kindle.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Stuart-S.-Laing/e/B007B5H19U/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

 

 

The Life of Henry VII: Part I

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As many of you know, I am currently writing a story of the Tudors, titled “Poison Letters” It is an alternate story about Prince Arthur of England. The story will be told in the present time but the letters revealed in the story take you back to the Tudor dynasty. But first, in order to learn  about Arthur I felt I needed to go back a little further and learn all I could about his father, King Henry VII, also known as Henry Tudor. Going forward, as I research the Tudors, I will be writing articles on this subject and I am honored to be able to share with you some of my discoveries. I will also be writing other articles about the Tudors that you might find interesting. To start off, I would like to say from the various books I have read, I find the different opinions historians/historical fiction writers have on the subject to be compelling, and gives the reader the chance to form their own opinions of the facts and what-ifs. It gives you the perspective that history is open to interpretation and is often told by the victors or the people in power as well.

Henry VII

Henry VII

There seems to be a diverse of information about Henry VII’s life and reign. For example, some say his mother Margaret Beaufort was the only one with royal blood. Others say both his parents could claim royal ancestry. Another example, Henry VII worked hard early on in his reign to build a myth claiming to be the rightful royal heir to England. (He wasn’t the only one to take the throne by force or questionable right. A prime example of that is Cnut and William the Conqueror. But out of all three maybe Henry had more justification then the two I just mentioned. Something I look forward to exploring.) Having to basically build the monarchy in his own right-he seemed obsessed –but who could blame him– with it and later on was described as a paranoid and suspicious ruler. But we won’t start with this intriguing speculation, we need to go further back.

On his father’s side, Henry’s uncle and grandfather, Jasper and Owen Tudor were staunch supporters of the Lancastrian cause. (If you want to know more about Jasper and Owen, read about the War of The Roses. A war between 1455 and 1485, fought between rival branches of the royal House of Plantagenet: the houses of Lancaster and York for the throne of England. Or you can check my website for upcoming articles on them as well). By the time of Henry Tudor’s birth, power of the Lancastrian monarch was slipping, making the youngest member-Henry Tudor- a valuable pawn in some dangerous games of politics. But, wait a minute, you see there, here I go again getting ahead of myself! I will stop there and take you to the time of Henry’s birth, his early childhood and his mother’s side of the family.

Lady Margaret Beaufort and Son

Margaret Beaufort who was born on May 31, 1443 or 1441 (the year of her birth is uncertain) was a direct descendant of John Beaufort, first Earl of Somerset, who was the illegitimate child of John of Gaunt- Duke of Lancaster and the third son of King Edward III. Margaret was also a key player in the War of the Roses and matriarch of the house of Tudor.

Margaret Beaufort

Margaret Beaufort

The Beauforts were tainted with illegitimate blood but were legitimized by a statute of Richard II. However, in 1407, Henry IV wrote letters confirming their legitimacy, adding that the Beauforts could not inherit the throne of England. To this day it is still in question whether the Beauforts had the right to succession or not.

Margaret was just twelve years old when she married Edmund Tudor, Earl of Richmond in 1455. He got her pregnant soon after. Edmund died of the plague the year after in 1456, leaving Margaret a thirteen year old widow.  On January 28, 1457, Henry Tudor was born at Pembroke castle and spent his earliest years with his mother there, under the protection of Jasper Tudor.

The pregnancy birth was traumatic for Margaret, as a result of that, she only bore one child. It is no wonder, giving birth at such a young age is incredible. It is amazing she survived.

*****

Roughly two years before the time of Henry Tudor’s birth, Henry VI’s right to the throne was challenged by Richard Duke of York. Henry VI and Richard both laid claim to the throne as descendants of Edward III. York was respected and experienced in warfare and was considerably wealthy. Henry VI was to be considered a schizophrenic and was in and out of a depression. In 1450, Henry VI was basically useless in governing and in three years’ time was seen as unfit to rule, Richard became regent and began the work of changing the government. This did not last long, when Henry was- again- in his “right mind” so to speak, his authority was back in his hands and under the influence of his advisors. Richard feared he would be arrested for treason and in 1455 was summoned to appear before the King’s council, he began to raise an army in the north and this marked the first battle in The War of the Roses. Although, from what I am reading in my research, this conflict goes back even further.

*****

Pembroke castle one

In 1461 Edward IV became king and Pembroke Castle fell to the Yorkist. About this time Henry was four years old. With his Uncle Jasper now in exile, a Yorkist noble Sir Henry William Herbert gained control of Henry. He was well received in Herbert’s family’s home in Southeast Wales. This however was the start of a long separation from his mother. I can imagine how painful that was for mother and son and how confusing Henry’s childhood must have been for him.

Pembroke castle two

At this time, Margaret was grown and was known to be pious, a woman with a strong mind and character. She married Henry Stafford in 1464 and moved with him to England.  I believe not by her choice but duty. Henry’s separation from his mother had to be incredibly hard for both of them. Margaret’s separation from Henry makes me wonder if she may have been angry and resentful. However, I believe (and this is purely speculation) this marriage to Stafford was the start of her being treated as a person of royal blood and maybe sparked hope in her heart that her son one day would be king and as we know this hope changed the destiny of Margaret and Henry….

So there you have it. My first installment of a series of articles on the Tudors. Now, for all you history enthusiast out there, I know I have left out a LOT of detail.  It would take several books to cover all that occurred during that time. My goal is to give a series of small overviews of what I have researched and to share some of those findings hoping that this will intrigue many of you to want to find out more. Thank you for taking the time to read my article and I hope you enjoyed it!

By Stephanie M. Hopkins

The pictures of Pembroke Castle are courtesy  of Marsha Lambert.

A few sources I researched from: The Tudors by Jane Bingham; The Tudors by G.J. Meyer; The Tudor Age by Jasper Ridley; Winter King by Thomas Penn; Elizabeth of York by Alison Weir.

Disclaimer: I checked historical facts and crossed checked, some of what I wrote is solely my opinion and speculation. For example: There are different opinions on how Edmund Tudor died. I went with what I felt was factual.

Review: Inceptio by Alison Morton

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Incepto

New York, present day, alternate reality. Karen Brown, angry and frightened after a kidnap attempt, has a choice – being eliminated by government enforcer Jeffery Renschman or fleeing to mysterious Roma Nova, her dead mother’s homeland in Europe.

Founded sixteen centuries ago by Roman exiles and ruled by women, Roma Nova gives Karen safety, at a price, and a ready-made family. Just as she’s finding her feet, a shocking discovery about her new lover, special forces officer Conrad Tellus, isolates her.

But the enforcer has crossed to Europe to pursue her. Unable to rely on anybody else, she undergoes intensive training, develops fighting skills and becomes an undercover cop. But crazy with bitterness at his past failures, Renschman sets a trap for her, knowing she has no choice but to spring it…

Review:

Inceptio is a story unlike what I have read before. I do enjoy reading alternate history but this is quite different from what I am used too. I must admit, in the beginning I had a hard time getting through it but as it picked up I found many aspects of the theme interesting and intriguing- if you will. The style of writing and dialog is new to me. Maybe because I am so used to medieval history and non-fiction. The protagonist-Karen Brown is someone who I haven’t decided what I think of. I would have also liked to know more about her fathers business and how it ties into the story…

Conrad is an  interesting character and Renschman is a character you will love to hate. Although I would really like to know more about why he is so bent on destroying Karen. It seems like there is more than just wanting her father’s business. But having said that, I’m sure the sequel will go more into that.

I believe many readers will enjoy the uniqueness to this story and I recommend this to young adults and anyone who likes a thriller with an alternate history twist.

Stephanie

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Guest post with Alison Morton

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Alison Morton

I would like to introduce Author Alison Morton. Alison grew up in Tunbridge Wells, a former spa town in South East England, and worked in the City of London, dealt in coins and antique jewellery, head-hunted chief executives, served as a reserve military officer and owned a translation company. She completed a bachelor’s degree in French, German and Economics and several years later a masters’ in history. She now lives in France with her husband.

 

A ‘Roman nut’ since age 11, she has visited sites throughout Europe including the alma mater, Rome. But it was the mosaics at Ampurias (Spain) that started her wondering what a modern Roman society would be like if run by women…

 Alison pic of rome

A wordsmith much of her life – playwright (aged 7), article writer, local magazine editor and translator – she came to novel writing in reaction to a particularly dire film.

‘I could do better that that,’ she whispered in the darkened cinema.

‘So why don’t you?’ came her spouse’s reply.

Three months later, she had completed the first draft of INCEPTIO, the first in her series of Roma Nova thrillers.

 

INCEPTIO was shortlisted for the 2013 International Rubery Book Award and awarded a B.R.A.G. MedallionTM in September 2013. The next in the series, PERFIDITAS, was published October 2013.  Alison is working on the third book SUCCESSIO.

 

Writing history stories “alternately”

 

Stepping into a book’s world is always the start of an exciting adventure, especially going back to the past to hear the clash and smash of an ancient Roman battle, admire the frocks and pelisses of Jane Austen’s Bath or even smell the stench of Victorian slums. But what if that past is an “alternate” one where history developed differently?

 

What if King Harold had won the Battle of Hastings in 1066? Or George Washington had failed to cross the Delaware River on Christmas night in 1776? If Boudicca had won the Battle of Watling Street and thrown the Romans out of Britain? Or that firm favourite, if Hitler had won the Second World War? More intriguing is when something that seems obscure at the time turns out to have a massive impact, e.g. the thought not occurring to Tim Berners-Lee to link up hypertext and the embryonic Internet to ease CERN scientists’ daily working lives to produce the world wide web, or, even more simply, if hadn’t rained the night before Agincourt.

 

So what defines alternate history?
A story can take place can take place in the past, present or future, but the point of divergence (POD) from the standard timeline must be in the past. The diverted timeline can’t be changed back by a time machine, technical gizmo or waking up and finding it’s all been a dream, or possibly a nightmare! And lastly, the narrative should show some of the consequences of the change and describe how the alternate world works.

 

In my Roma Nova thrillers, the trigger in the past was the final brutal suppression of paganism by Christian Roman emperor Theodosius in 395 AD that sent four hundred non-Christian Romans north to find a safe place to live. Over the following sixteen centuries, the late fourth century colony battled its way through history to become Roma Nova, a high tech, financial mini-state that retained and developed Roman values, but with a twist.  And Roma Nova’s very existence has altered the rest of the world’s history.

 

Stories with Romans are usually about famous emperors, epic battles, depravity, intrigue, wicked empresses and a lot of sandals, tunics and swords. But imagine the Roman theme projected sixteen hundred years further forward into the 21st century where my thriller stories of INCEPTIO and PERFIDITAS take place…

 

What is the most difficult thing about writing stories set in an alternate history timeline?

 

Reaching into the past means getting inside the heads of the characters, imagining what they see in their everyday world, what they smell, eat and touch. For stories set in a different country, writers can visit the places the characters would live in, smell the sea, touch the plants, walk under the hot blue sky, or freeze in a biting wind. But if a writer invents that country, then the task is doubled; no sources and no research visits.

 

Not only history, but geography and social, economic and political development must be worked out carefully; this sounds dry, but every living person is a product of their local conditions. And to keep the story plausible, it must develop in a historically logical way. I firmly believe you have to know your history before you can attempt “alternating” it!

 

As with all history-based fiction, research must be worn lightly and not dumped on the reader. One way to stay plausible and keep the reader engaged is to infuse, but not flood, the story with detail that reinforces the original setting the writer has introduced.  Even though INCEPTIO and PERFIDITAS are set in the 21st century, the Roman characters still say things like ‘I wouldn’t be in your sandals (not shoes) when he finds out.’  And there are honey-coated cookies (honey was big in the ancient Roman world), not bagels, in the police squad room.

 

Above all, when writing in an unfamiliar setting the characters should display normal emotions and behaviour. Human beings of all ages and cultures have similar needs, hurts and joys, often expressed in alienating or (to us) peculiar ways.  But the emotions of a romantic relationship are the same whether set in ancient Rome, the reign of Henry VIII or the 21st century.

 

Ultimately, alternate history allows your imagination to explore outside the confines of the set timeline and to introduce conflict and challenges to history in your own terms. And that’s a lot of fun!

 Incepto

INCEPTIO (Roma Nova I)

 

New York, present day, alternate reality. Karen Brown, angry and frightened after surviving a kidnap attempt, has a harsh choice – being eliminated by government enforcer Jeffery Renschman or fleeing to mysterious Roma Nova, her dead mother’s homeland in Europe.

 

Founded sixteen centuries ago by Roman exiles and ruled by women, Roma Nova gives Karen safety, at a price, and a ready-made family in a strange culture she often struggles with. Just as she’s finding her feet, a shocking discovery about her new lover, Special Forces officer Conrad Tellus, isolates her.

 

And the enforcer, Renschman, is stalking her in her new home and nearly kills her. Recovering, she is desperate to find out why Renschman is hunting her so viciously. Unable to rely on anybody else, she undergoes intensive training, develops fighting skills and becomes an undercover cop. But crazy with bitterness at his past failures, Renschman sets a trap for her, knowing she has no choice but to spring it…

 Perfiditas II

PERFIDITAS (Roma Nova II)

 

Captain Carina Mitela of the Praetorian Guard Special Forces is in trouble – one colleague has tried to kill her and another has set a trap to incriminate her in a conspiracy to topple the government of Roma Nova. Founded sixteen hundred years ago by Roman dissidents and ruled by women, Roma Nova barely survived a devastating coup d’état thirty years ago. Carina swears to prevent a repeat and not merely for love of country.

 

Seeking help from a not quite legal old friend could wreck her marriage to the enigmatic Conrad. Once proscribed and operating illegally, she risks being terminated by both security services and conspirators. As she struggles to overcome the desperate odds and save her beloved Roma Nova and her own life, she faces the ultimate betrayal…

 

INCEPTIO is available as a paperback and ebook here and PERFIDITAS as paperback and ebook here. Also through your local bookstore as a paperback and from other online retailers.

 

Book trailer PERFIDITAS:  http://alison-morton.com/blog/perfiditas-book-trailer/

 

Social media:

You can read more about Alison, Romans, alternate history and writing here on her blog at www.alison-morton.com

or on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AlisonMortonAuthor

INCEPTIO page: https://www.facebook.com/Inceptiothriller

PERFIDITAS page: http://www.facebook.com/Perfiditas

Twitter: https://twitter.com/alison_Morton

 

Inerview with Author Deborah Swift

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Author Deborah Swift

Stephanie: Deborah Swift used to work in the theatre and at the BBC as a set and costume designer, before studying for an MA in Creative Writing in 2007. She lives in a beautiful area of Lancashire near the Lake District National Park.  She is the author of The Lady’s Slipper and is a member of the Historical Writers Association, the Historical Novel Society, and the Romantic Novelists Association.

 

Hello Deborah! It is a pleasure to chat with you again. Please tell me about your book, A Divided Inheritance. 

 

A Divided Inheritance is about Elspet Leviston, a lace-trader’s daughter who loses her inheritance to a mysterious cousin – the hot-headed swordsman Zachary Deane. Elspet must leave her beloved English home and go to Seville to confront him. On the way she finds courage persistence, and much greater self-reliance. She also finds love in unexpected places.

 deborah's book

Stephanie: How much research was involved and will you please tell me a little about it?

 

Each of my novels takes about eighteen months. For this novel I researched by using archives and museums for the part set in London, and then I travelled to Seville to take photographs and visit locations for the Spanish part of the book. I also corresponded with various experts on swordplay, the almost-forgotten Morisco culture, and the art of lace-making.

 

Stephanie: What was your inspiration for this story?

 

I wanted a strong female protagonist, but found it was hard to give my heroine much of importance to do in the shuttered society of seventeenth century London. In the end I decided I would have to make her grow strong through the events of the book. This proved to be a much more satisfying arc to write.

At the same time as I was mulling over this, I came across a fascinating book about 17th century fencing masters and thought it would be interesting to research women who fought using rapiers and to find out more about whether any women used these training techniques. I have an interest in this through practising swordplay through martial arts. The particular Spanish training method I was researching is an esoteric system designed to produce a kind of ‘Renaissance man’ – or in this case, woman. I was also interested in a period of history in Spain where there was massive cultural change and Phillip II expelled a large population of Spanish citizens – an act that divided families and was to impoverish Spain for generations. So this seemed an ideal backdrop for my family drama.

Stephanie: Tell me a little about Elspet Leviston. What are her strengths and weaknesses?

 

At the beginning of the book she fits into a role cast for her by her old-fashioned scholarly father. When things go wrong she must find persistence and courage to get what she wants. Her journey leads her to discover there are many ways to live, and opens her eyes to new possibilities.

 

Stephanie: If your story was to become a movie. Which actor/actress would you like to see playing the lead character from your book?

 

I was very impressed with the film ‘Alatriste’ which I watched for some of my research into the Spanish fighting arts, and so I’d go for Viggo Mortensen. I also loved him in Lord of the Rings. For the female lead role I would choose Anne Hathaway who when she played Jane Austen had the quality of Englishness appropriate for my female lead Elspet Leviston..

 

Stephanie: Where is your favorite place in your home to write?

 

Generally I write from my home office on an ancient computer, but my favourite time of year is the summer when you can find me with my stack of notebooks and research books in our garden summerhouse.

 

Stephanie: Do you have a favorite coffee or tea by your side while writing?

 

Tetley tea and a chocolate brownie (I hope!)

 

Stephanie: Who are your influences?

 

Anything and everything. I read voraciously – all sorts of things, not just historical. I’m in a book club too, so I read stuff for that. I analyse what works and what doesn’t in terms of storytelling to try to improve my craft. I like listening to radio and reading poetry too, so I guess it all seeps in somehow.

 

Stephanie: What book project are you currently working on?

 

I’m working on a Teen novel about a real 17th century character. I’ve never attempted a teen novel before, but thought it would be nice to tempt some younger readers with a love of English history!

 

Stephanie: Where can readers buy your book?

 

e-book from Amazon US http://www.amazon.com/A-Divided-Inheritance-ebook/dp/B00CYM19CA/

e-book from Amazon UK http://www.amazon.co.uk/A-Divided-Inheritance-Deborah-Swift-ebook/dp/B00CYM19CA/

 

UK Paperback from Amazon UK or bookshops http://www.amazon.co.uk/A-Divided-Inheritance-Deborah-Swift/dp/033054344X/

US Paperback from Book Depository http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/Divided-Inheritance-Deborah-Swift/9780330543446

 

Many thanks to Stephanie!

You can find me on twitter @swiftstory

Or at www.deborahswift.com

 

Link to Tour Schedule: http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/adividedinheritancetour
Twitter Hashtag: #DividedInheritanceTour

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Review: Confessions of Marie Antoinette: A novel by Juliet Grey

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Confessions

Publication Date: September 24, 2013
Ballantine Books
Paperback; 464p
ISBN: 0345523903

Review:

Versailles, 1789.

The Confessions of Marie Antoinette is a deeply moving and emotional story, which provides new insights into the period during which the French royal family was held hostage and into the last moments of Marie Antoinette’s life. Juliet Grey’s story emphasizes real historical events and provides perceptive and haunting descriptions of the king and Queen’s demise. The story is told in Marie Antoinette’s point of view and Grey creates a convincing portrait of Marie and her devotion as a wife, mother, queen and the lengths she goes to protect those roles as best as she can. There are vivid and heart wrenching descriptions of the revolution and Grey gives a clear picture of rage and determination of the people.

This novel is third of a brilliant trilogy and I say that because it has been a long time since I have enjoyed a trilogy so much. As the story goes we know that Marie was a spendthrift and her subjects saw a selfish women with lots of food and clothes while others starved. However, from what I came away with in this trilogy, was that if Marie never bought that stuff those businesses would have been even worse off. I believe she truly felt she was helping them.

Writing good historical fiction is an art. Writing a master piece takes undoubted skill and talent that reaches into the very depth of the reader’s soul. Grey has accomplished both and I believe, “Confessions”, has truly changed me and brought to surface an emotion inside of me that has been quiet for some time. I was beyond deeply moved. My perceptive of Marie and the French people of that period is forever changed. Grey writes with a deep feeling of loss, betrayal, love, and devotion. I cannot express enough how I much I enjoyed reading this story. Words cannot achieve that emotion. I HIGHLY recommend to all!

Stephanie M. Hopkins

My interview with Grey is coming up tomorrow on Layered Pages. So please be sure to return! You won’t want to miss what she has to say!

Juliet Grey

Juliet Grey is the author of Becoming Marie Antoinette and Days of Splendor, Days of Sorrow. She has extensively researched European royalty and is a particular devotee of Marie Antoinette, as well as a classically trained professional actress with numerous portrayals of virgins, vixens, and villainesses to her credit. She and her husband divide their time between New York City and southern Vermont.

For more information please visit www.becomingmarie.com.  You can also find Juliet Grey on Facebook.

Link to Tour Schedule: http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/confessionsofmarieantoinettevirtualtour
Twitter Hashtag: #ConfessionsOfMATour

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Review: The Luxe (Luxe, #1) by Anna Godsbersen

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luxe

When the Holland’s find out that their perfect 19th century New York high society, life is no longer secure. Everything depends on the eldest daughter, Elizabeth Holland to save what is left of their good name or will she follow her heart and choose true love instead.

There was so much scandal, romance and betrayal, I could not put the book down! This exiting period is filled with secrets and intrigue and is the perfect book for me. To the gorgeous gowns and stunning balls to the romance and mystery that surrounds them. The Luxe is well written and it appears to be historically accurate.

Reviewed by Savannah